Can Chiropractic Influence Conditions Such as Menopause?

In recent times, there has been a debunking that a lack of a neurotransmitter, serotonin, influences depression. The narrative has been since the introduction of Prozac that Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective in increasing serotonin levels in depressed patients. Hence, these drugs have been prescribed in huge quantities.

The latest research involving many studies shows that SSRIs are not any more effective than placebos. In the July 24, 2022 issue of Psychology Today, they conclude the following:

“If you hear a medical professional using the term “chemical imbalance” to explain depression, you are hearing a fictional narrative (or a sales pitch), not scientific fact.”

I’m not here to push psychotropic drugs, but is it true that chemical imbalances do not cause depression or other mental states? There are many causes of depression, some genetic––you see it run in families––and some due to trauma.

Dr Daniel Amen revolutionized brain scans with his SPECT scans, which identify damaged areas from trauma and other causes and visualize them on a computer screen. Below is a scan of a concussed brain.

Drugs, of course are chemicals and they affect the brain. Dr Amen has also demonstrated the effect of drugs on the brain with his scans.

So body chemistry and balance is critical to human health physically and mentally. But what does all this have to do with chiropractic?